Public health, environmental and social determinants of health (PHE)

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Background information on urban outdoor air pollution

What are some of the major sources or causes of urban outdoor air pollution?

Both 'mobile' sources (i.e. cars) and 'stationary' sources (i.e. smoke stacks) make significant contributions to urban outdoor air pollution. Some of the major sources include exhaust fumes from vehicles, emissions from manufacturing facilities (i.e. factories) and power generation (i.e. smoke stacks of coal fired power plants). Also in those cities where residential use of coal and wood for cooking and heating is permitted, the emissions from households using these fuels can make an important contribution to the level of urban outdoor air pollution.